GBA Strategic PartnerFinancial Marketing Solutions (FMS)
has announced the launch of a new division,
FMS Social.The new unit is devoted entirely to
all things social for the banking industry. FMS Social delivers the
expertise, content and creative material needed to execute
successful social media strategies for community banks.
From strategy development and consulting to social policy making and
monitoring, FMS Social has been created to make it easy for banks to
enter and be successful in the social media arena. Nationally
recognized expert Amber Farley
is the new executive vice president of FMS Social, acting as the
director of the new division. More about FMS Social here...

GBA
Strategic Partner Corserv Reports from Their Meeting with CFPB

In
November, 2013,
Corserv met in Washington, D.C.,
with senior representatives of the Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau to present its
Account Issuer Program. The meeting provided lively discussion
of the payment space, credit cards in particular and Corserv's
program designed to build a well performing loan portfolio for
community banks and to meet the credit needs in their local markets.
The CFPB offered a suggestion for the incorporation of periodic
third-party reviews of specific compliance matters, and Corserv sees that
as an opportunity for improvement. Corserv now has a contact at the
CFPB, which adds to its list of regulators who are familiar with
the team and their service offerings, and can make this
information available to banks who are considering the Account
Issuer Program. The Corserv Account Issuer credit card program can
help a bank systematically build a predictable, profitable, easily
managed credit card portfolio.
Some of the highlights are...

Reliance
Trust Company,
headquartered in Atlanta, is one of the largest independent trust
companies in the country with more than $109 billion in assets under
management and administration and a leading provider of personalized
financial services for individual, corporate, and institutional
clients. Reliance can add fee-based revenues through financial
advisory services to individual and business customers, directors
and bank employees. Reliance's services include...

The big issue for Georgia bankers during
the General Assembly session this week
was the full Senate consideration of a
bill GBA opposed dealing with
non-customer notifications. The Senate
voted on the bill,
S.B. 363bySen. Lindsey Tippins
(R-Marietta),
Wednesday.
The bill received only 26 votes, three short of
the constitutional majority of 29 necessary for
a bill to pass.
Click here see how your Senator voted.
Our thanks to many GBA members who played a key
role in the outcome by calling yourr
Senators and telling them about the
problems with the bill as it headed
toward a vote.
Get full details in our weekly
Legislative Update...

Advocacy in Action

Georgia
Bankers Meet with CFPB’s Antonakes

CFPB Deputy
Director Steven Antonakes met with a group of Georgia bankers
Thursday in Atlanta before he delivered the keynote speech at the
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s 2014 Banking Outlook Conference. The bankers spent most
of the time giving real-world examples about how many traditional
borrowers are not fitting the neat boxes defined by the CFPB’s
ability-to-repay and qualified mortgage rules. Please continue to
share examples with us about how those rules are affecting your
current loan customers, how they’re affecting your ability to make
new loans, and how they are affecting your product pricing and
structure so we can continue pushing the CFPB for additional
flexibility. Another part of the conversation was about overdraft
rules and supervision. Antonakes said payday lending is a larger
priority right now, but the bureau is still studying overdraft
policies and to expect to hear more about that in the future. With questions or comments,
contact Joe Brannen, 404.420.2026.

How
You Can Contribute to GBA's Community of Professional BankersOne of GBA's greatest assets is the more than 225 bankers
who volunteer each year to serve on a committee
or board. Our volunteers are experts and leaders who help GBA and
its members better prepare for the ever-changing political,
regulatory, and educational needs of today's banking environment.
Remer Brinson, GBA's Chairman-elect and President and CEO of
First Bank of Georgia, Augusta, is starting this year's
committee appointment process by looking for bankers who want to
join their colleagues from across Georgia in service to their
industry. "GBA's 18 standing committees and boards provide an
excellent opportunity for you to share your expertise and network
with other bankers," Brinson said. Learn more about how you can
nominate yourself or a fellow Georgia banker to fill these critical
volunteer roles for the GBA...

As we enter a new era of banking, we are faced with
several regulations that affect technology at our banks. At GBA's
upcoming Operations and Technology Conference,Zach Duke, Safe Systems, Inc., Alpharetta, will
moderate a panel of skilled industry professionals who will share
insight into the compliance requirements that are upon us, and those
waiting on the horizon. Here's your last chance to sign up.
Access the link to register here...

A new bank
tax on large institutions and a phase-out of
the deductibility of FDIC insurance
premiums for banks with more than $10 billion in assets are among
provisions in a major tax reform packageproposed Wednesday by U.S. House
Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.). In addition
to the FDIC premium deductibility phase out, assessments would be
completely non-deductible for banks with more than $50 billion in
assets. The bank tax proposed would be a 0.035 percent excise tax on
all assets of Federal Reserve-designated systemically significant
financial institutions with assets over $500 billion. Major trade
groups, including the ABA and ICBA, immediately wrote Camp voicing
opposition to any new tax on financial institutions. The tax-reform
package also completely ignores the ongoing credit union tax
exemption, which is estimated to cost the U.S. Treasury $2 billion
annually. More about the proposed Federal Tax Reform package
here...

Amplify
Our Voice against Credit
Union Tax Exemption

The
credit union industry has been in Washington, D.C. this week, so
we're asking members to make use of ABA's grassroots advocacy
program to speak up against the credit union tax exemption. More
than 14,200 bankers have done so already with letters and more than
180 tweets have been sent, including ones from GBA. Chime in with
your voice, too. The tools are available to all bankers, regardless
of ABA membership status. Here's how to act...

Exam
Procedures for Mortgage Rules Issued

The FDIC
this week issued
revised interagency consumer compliance
examination procedures for the mortgage rules issued
pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act. The examination procedures should be
helpful to financial institutions seeking to better understand the
areas the FDIC will focus on as part of the examination process,
the FDIC said. The procedures cover ability-to-repay,
qualified mortgage, servicing, and all the other significant new
rules that went into effect in January. Initial compliance exams
will focus on evaluating an institution's familiarity with the
requirements of the regulations and plans for implementing the
requirements. Those implementation plans should include clear
timeframes and benchmarks for compliance.
Additional resources on the new rules can be found on the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) Web site.

Sponsorship and Exhibit Space
Opportunities Available at Annual Meeting

About 40 percent of Americans do not
have a three-month cushion of savings that would keep them above the
poverty level if they lost their job. And, financially stressed workers spend about 20
hours per month while at work focusing on personal finances, are
more likely to be absent and use more sick leave. Those were some of
the reasons cited for needing strong workplace financial literacy
efforts by participants during a Financial Literacy and Education
Commission field hearing in Atlanta Tuesday. CFPB Director
Richard Cordray spoke, as did Melissa Kiode, deputy
assistant secretary of Consumer Policy at the Department of the
Treasury, and Phyllis Borzi, assistant secretary, Department
of Labor. What were these Federal Officials saying about
Financial Literacy? Find out here, and find out how GBA Retirement
Services can help your bank...

GBA
Roundtables Are in Full Swing

The 2014 GBA
Roundtable season kicked off in style with The League's meeting on
Feb. 21 at Idle Hour Country Club in Macon.
Although the group's membership has changed some over the years, The
League of Extraordinary Bankers has been brainstorming for over 10
years now, and was the original group used as the model for GBA's
many successful Roundtable peer groups. Pictured in the center is
founding League member Joe Gore, First State Bank,
Wrens celebrating his upcoming retirement with his League peers.
"Joe was the member who named our group at its inaugural meeting
long ago. The name stuck and the infamous 'League' has been figuring
things out together through our industry challenges for a decade
now. They are all amazing bankers and discussions are always
lively," said facilitator Elaine Demarest of Demarest
Strategy Group. More about GBA Roundtables here...

The
League of Extraordinary Bankers

2014 Bank Security Conference - April 10 - 11

GBA Security Committee Announces Program Agenda for
Annual Conference

The 2014
GBA Bank Security Conference
is coming up Thursday and Friday, April 10-11, at the Marriott
Savannah Riverfront Hotel. This annual conference is developed and
hosted by GBA's Security Committee, chaired by Debi Davidoff,
Signature Bank of Georgia, Sandy Springs,withVice
Chair Kathy Pippin, United Bank,Barnesville.
Topics will include financial elder abuse, trends and controls in
electronic fraud, business continuity, technology to help your bank
stay ahead of fraud, and a series of industry updates from members
of the committee.
Click here to register.
Rooms are available at the Marriott for a discounted nightly rate of
$183. Call 912.233.7722 or 800.285.0398 to reserve a room. This
rate is available through March 16, and rooms may sell out before
then.
Please contact GBA's
Kathy Friestad, 404.420.2024 with
questions.

GBA's
AgricultureCommittee met Wednesday in Macon to
discuss hot topics and to make plans for the committee's annual
conference. Hosted by committee chair Scott Beeley, Bank
of Terrell, Dawson, and vice chair Steve Wood, State
Bank & Trust, Adel, members talked about a variety of issues
affecting their banks and areas of the state. Topics discussed were
concerns about the Farm Bill, fair lending issues, loan volume and
interest rate competition with larger banks, and just keeping up
with the increasing number of regulatory changes. These topics will
drive the agenda for the 2014GBA Rural Development and
Lending Conference May 15-16 at the Savannah
Marriott Riverfront.
Click here to register and see hotel information.

CFPB Wants
Banks to Give Free Credit Scores

The CFPB
wants banks to give customers free credit scores, according to
a report in Bloomberg Businessweek online. CFPB Director
Richard Cordray reportedly sent a letter to at least six
large banks. A CFPB spokesperson did not comment on the letter, but
the news story includes a quote reportedly from the letter.
"I strongly encourage you to make the credit scores
on which you rely available to your customers regularly and freely,
along with educational content to help them make use of this
information," Cordray wrote. By law, consumers already can get a
free credit report, but that document does not include the specific
scores assigned by the credit rating bureaus.

The Information Security Officer (ISO)
Seminar – March 20

Designed for Information Security Officers, Compliance Officers and
network administrators, this seminar will highlight all the
information you need to be a successful professional in this role.
You will get a better understanding of the regulatory requirements
and expectations, and we will define the internal roles and
responsibilities including coordination with NetAdmin, reporting to
the board of directors, leading the IT steering committee and the
ISO's role in audits and examinations. Helpful checklists and white
papers will be included. Registration is $225 for members and will
be at the Idle Hour Country Club in Macon Georgia.
For more information or to register, click here. For personal
assistance contact GBA's
Danielle Driggers at 404.420.2015.

For more than 150 years, Diebold, Incorporated, has
brought together a combination of innovation, expertise and quality
service to become a global leader in providing integrated
self-service solutions, security systems and services.
Find out more about Diebold here.

First
State Bank's Joe Gore with
GBA president and CEO Joe Brannen at Gore's retirement
reception
last Sunday in Wrens.

Read All About It:
Send Us Your News

Please remember to include the Georgia
Bankers Association on the list of recipients for announcements
about promotions, new employees and special recognition your bank
has received. We want to share your news with your colleagues across
the state. Please forward your announcements and photos to GBA's David Oliver and Bogan Brannen.